Challenge question: understanding proportion
22 October 2026
Proportion questions can seem tricky at first, but breaking them down into clear steps helps children understand how to solve them. Here is a challenge maths.com style example that shows how to use ratios to work out the answer.
Worked example
A recipe uses 3 cups of flour for every 5 cups of sugar. If you have 15 cups of flour, how many cups of sugar do you need?
Step 1: Write the ratio of flour to sugar as 3:5.
Step 2: Divide 15 by 3 to find how many times the recipe is being made. 15 ÷ 3 = 5.
Step 3: Multiply the sugar part of the ratio by this number. 5 × 5 = 25.
The correct answer is 25 cups of sugar.
After working through this example, your child will recognise how to use ratios and multiplication to solve similar proportion questions. The next step is to practise more questions like this to build confidence.
